and the reason is you

Nox could’ve cut the tension as a hot knife would butter. Though the stranger's voice was soft, it lacked the warmth that she sought. Though it was selfish to expect that sort of thing from a stranger and one whose peace she had disturbed no less. Nox took another deep breath, each inhale helping to steady the shaking of her vocal cords. Each release of oxygen draining the untamed emotion and setting her heart-strands back into place. She straightened slightly but for the time kept her eyes fixated on anything but the cool-gray orbs that seemed locked onto her. Nox understood why, and she was not hurt by it. A strange lady in a place that should have been hidden and safe from prying eyes. Well… It wasn’t like she intended to be there and she did not wish harm to fall upon them. Oh, but how was she to know that? It was just a mess, wasn't it? If she had known they were here, to begin with, she would have avoided it entirely.

She couldn’t help but share in admiration of the two babes. Life was a precious gift, one that could be taken away just as easily as it was given. “I see.” A few days? Nox thought to question further but instead turned her attention to the elepha- or rather fox in the room. “Is it--she--a companion of yours?” Nox studied the fleet-footed creature with reddened, tear-soaked eyes. The scene was something out of a joke. A 'two wolves and a fox go into a bar' sort of thing. “Where I come from foxes are more likely to eat pups than help provide for them.” Her lips thinned as she pondered how that sounded. “I-I didn’t mean to sound rude I’ve just never…" Nox sniffled, choosing her next words carefully. Normally she didn't struggle so much, but it had been a while since she'd talked to anyone other than Lupa, and well... this was just terribly uncomfortable, to begin with. “Species coexistence is rare…especially among other predators, is what I mean to say.” The longer the conversation went on the more she wondered if she should just turn away and make it easier on both of them.